HARRISON, N.J. — The New York Red Bulls conceded two goals in the final 10 minutes of play, including a stoppage-time winner by Obinna Nwobodo, to squander a one-goal advantage and drop all three points in a 2-1 loss to Major League Soccer’s top side, FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night at Red Bull Arena.
“Today wasn’t good enough in the second half,” Red Bulls head coach Troy Lesesne, who was dealing with a shorthanded team riddled with injuries and absences in 90-degree heat at kick-off, said. “I thought we started out well again, but maybe a little bit of it was fatigue. We’re thin right now, I think we all understand that, but credit Cincinnati… they had to go for the game, they were down a goal and we didn’t adjust.”
Cincinnati star midfielder Luciano Acosta, who scored the equalizing penalty in the 80th minute, provided a looping ball from the left side of the box that was cleared by Matt Nocita making his MLS debut, but only to Nwobodo. While he didn’t get all that much of the half-volley, it managed to squeak through the clutches of keeper Carlos Coronel — who would likely have loved to have it back — at his right post.
“You try to do everything you can, especially as a center back, to prevent moments like that from even getting [there],” Nocita said. “From my perspective, I could’ve redirected that clearance a little bit more rather.”
Omir Fernandez’s first-half penalty for the hosts was canceled out by Acosta’s 11th goal of the season, moving the Cincinnati star out of a tie for third place on the MLS leading scorers list after being held in check for most of the night by a previously-resolute Red Bulls defense.
New York continues to be snakebitten by Cincinnati as it has recorded just one win in its last nine against the side from the Queen City. The result also keeps the Red Bulls outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture (26 points) having entered the night in 10th place — level on points with ninth-place Montreal but behind on the tiebreaker (total wins) for the final Wild Card spot.
“They were able to make some adjustments that we weren’t able to make,” Lesesne said. “They continued to push the game like we were pushing the game in the first half… They’re at the top of the conference for a reason.”
Fernandez drew level atop the Red Bulls’ goal-scoring leaderboard with a 28th-minute penalty that put his side ahead. His chance from the spot came off a handball by Cincinnati defender Nick Hagglund, whose forearm impeded a flick at the left byline from wingback Kyle Duncan on a marauding run into the box.
The midfielder slotted his third goal of the season with a vigorous toe-tapping run-up that sent keeper Roman Celentano the wrong way as his penalty was tucked inside the left post. The 24-year-old Bronx native also leads New York with six goals+assists this season.
Cameron Harper nearly made it two for the Red Bulls in the 36th minute when his right-footed effort from outside the right corner of the Cincinnati box fizzed low and just outside the left post before Luquinhas fired a half-volley just over the crossbar four minutes later.
The strong first half by the Red Bulls also saw them hold Cincinnati without a shot attempt, but the inability to create more with possession in the attacking third came back to bite Lesesne’s men.
“We could have created more clear-cut opportunities and we didn’t do that in the first half,” Lesesne said. “In the second half, I think [Cincinnati] pushed the game more than we did.”
Acosta managed Cincinnati’s first shot on target in the 52nd minute — a speculative volley to the right of Coronel that didn’t give the New York keeper much trouble.
But while Duncan won a penalty for the Red Bulls in the first half, he conceded one in the 80th minute after a VAR check deemed h committed a foul on the right side of the New York box.
Given his form and standing as one of MLS’ top scorers, Acosta made no mistake, booming his penalty into the bottom-left corner of the goal.
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